Community Lutheran Church Hawaii

Friday, February 10, 2017

How do you react when someone says, “I’ve got good news and bad news, which one do you want to hear first”? Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to say, “Just tell me the good news and keep the bad news to yourself”? Good news is so good to hear! Almost as thrilling as receiving good news is being the one who brings it. When we have particularly good news for someone we might even dramatically say, “I come bearing good news!”

The great tragedy of humanity is that the best news is not recognized as such. And even those who have the privilege of sharing it keep the message of Christ to ourselves because we are intimidated by the negative reaction people often have toward it.

On the evening of Easter, the day Jesus Christ rose from the dead after his crucifixion, he appeared to his disciples and gave them a startling message:

As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” John 20:21

That may not sound all that earth shaking until we consider that it is God’s forgiveness we’re talking about and it is precisely that forgiveness which opens eternal life with God to human beings. If you are a follower of Christ, you are a messenger of that greatest news. What a privilege! God doesn’t just give you an opportunity to change the world, his message changes eternity!

Upcoming Events

Lent 2018The season of Lent has been commemorated by Christians for over 1500 years. Lent marks the 40 days before Easter and is meant to be a time of spiritual self-examination and preparation for the observance of Good Friday and Easter. As we do each year, we will be holding weekly Wednesday evening worship services to make the season significant. Our theme this year is: He Chose the Nails. Think about that statement for a moment. Christ going to the cross wasn’t something he was forced to do, he chose to suffer…for us. Each Wednesday we’ll serve a potluck dinner at 5:30 pm with the service beginning at 6:30 pm.

Help Serve Dinner to the HomelessNext Step Shelter – This Thursday at 6:00 pmPlease consider giving us a hand serving dinner this Thursday at the Next Step Transitional shelter. It only takes an hour and is an excellent opportunity to make a difference in the lives of over 125 people. Next month we will also need help preparing food. If you would like to make a casserole, please contact Pastor for more information.

Sunday Bible Class – Why We Can Trust the Bible is TrueThis Sunday the title of our study is “The Life of William Tyndale”. In this class we’ll be looking at how the Bible powerfully changed Tyndale’s life which led him to dedicate himself to translating the Bible. Each session consists of a video presentation followed by a discussion period. The topics are not only interesting but extremely important in helping us better share our faith with others. Class begins each Sunday morning at 8:45 am.